Introduction

COMPETITION ORGANISERS
Kinderspace

Buildner is proud to announce the results of the second edition of the Kinderspace Competition.

Following the success of its inaugural launch, this annual international competition once again invited architects, designers, and educators to explore new possibilities for early childhood learning environments.

Participants were tasked with envisioning spaces that inspire discovery, foster imagination, and support the emotional and cognitive development of young children. The aim was to move beyond standardized classroom design and propose innovative, flexible, and nature-connected spaces that reflect a deeper understanding of how children interact with their surroundings.

Entrants were encouraged to propose designs for a theoretical site of their choosing, offering the opportunity to respond to local cultures, climates, and educational values. Key design criteria included the integration of natural materials, adaptive spatial strategies, access to daylight and greenery, and a thoughtful approach to sensory engagement.

An accomplished jury comprising architects, educators, and designers with project experience in childcare environments reviewed the submissions, recognizing projects that demonstrated originality, empathy, and a strong architectural vision.

Buildner extends its appreciation to all who participated for their dedication to rethinking educational design. We congratulate the winning teams for their exceptional proposals and remain inspired by the continued evolution of early learning environments through architecture.

We sincerely thank our jury panel
for their time and expertise

Jan Clostermann

Founding Director of CLOU architects

China

Tommaso Calistri

Killa Design

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Jake Heffington

...and other works

USA

Mikkel Hermann Sørensen

Partner and architect, Christensen & Co

Denmark

Danielle Reimers

SAOTA

South Africa

Betsaida Curto Reyes

Founder, Estudio Copla

Spain

Yu-Ying Tsai

architect at ZJJZ Atelier

China

Jan Vondrák

Mjölk

Czechia

Edward Weysen

WE-S architects

Belgium

Matthias Roller

Dannien Roller Architekten + Partner

Germany

Enter the next competition edition
Kinderspace

Design a kindergarten of tomorrow

Architecture for Children’s Development #3 ideas COMPETITION

1st Prize Winner

Project name

Nest

We join architecture competitions as a way to reconnect through shared curiosity and challenges. Though we are geographically dispersed, competitions offer a space where our values rooted in sustainability, social responsibility, public engagement, and the intersection of the built and unbuilt can actively converge. They allow us to explore and test ideas outside of conventional practice, experiment with new tools and methods, and collaborate freely across disciplines. For us, idea competitions are about testing the edges of architecture—creating work that is speculative yet deeply rooted in the stories of place and people.

Read full interview
Authors
Kenneth Anggara
Marco Kuo
Emma Aleah Garm-Straker
Country
United Kingdom
  • 8/10 Linework
  • 9/10 Quality of drawings
  • 8/10 Balance of color
  • 9/10 Layout
  • 8/10 Hierarchy
  • 8/10 Annotation
  • 9/10 Text
  • 9/10 Clarity of story
  • 9/10 Clarity of diagrams
  • 9/10 Quality of overall presentation

2nd Prize Winner

Project name

Outside-In: ecological thinking of children, climate & architecture

Author
Longyi Zhou
Country
Netherlands
  • 9/10 Linework
  • 9/10 Quality of drawings
  • 8/10 Balance of color
  • 9/10 Layout
  • 8/10 Hierarchy
  • 8/10 Annotation
  • 9/10 Text
  • 9/10 Clarity of story
  • 9/10 Clarity of diagrams
  • 9/10 Quality of overall presentation

3rd Prize Winner

Project name

PLAYFUL PAST

We see architecture competitions as an opportunity to step outside the usual boundaries of practice and explore ideas more freely. Competitions give us space to test new concepts, challenge ourselves creatively, and build on our personal interests in design. This competition, in particular, allowed us to collaborate across our different backgrounds, combining Zi’s focus on digital design with Thomas’s new interest in landscape public spaces. It was a valuable chance to learn from each other and develop a project that brings both of our strengths together.

Read full interview
Authors
Zihe Chen
Thomas Doan
Country
Australia
  • 8/10 Linework
  • 9/10 Quality of drawings
  • 8/10 Balance of color
  • 9/10 Layout
  • 8/10 Hierarchy
  • 7/10 Annotation
  • 9/10 Text
  • 9/10 Clarity of story
  • 8/10 Clarity of diagrams
  • 9/10 Quality of overall presentation

Buildner Student Award

Project name

Brick Bond

This is a new experience for me, but I chose to participate in this competition to step out of my comfort zone. The theme of my project is personal, it tells my story and the story of my neighborhood. I wanted to look where no one else would, in a forgotten place, and find value and strength in memory, history, and identity.

Read full interview
Author
Silvia-Elena Maxim
Country
Romania
  • 8/10 Linework
  • 9/10 Quality of drawings
  • 7/10 Balance of color
  • 9/10 Layout
  • 8/10 Hierarchy
  • 7/10 Annotation
  • 8/10 Text
  • 9/10 Clarity of story
  • 9/10 Clarity of diagrams
  • 9/10 Quality of overall presentation

Buildner Sustainability Award

Project name

Growing Confident

We participate in architecture competitions because they offer a unique outlet to express our ideas with fewer limitations than academic or professional settings. This quality is both an opportunity and a challenge. By removing the often provided guidelines, we as students must draw our own boundaries, as architects do in the professional setting. Each and every competition becomes an opportunity to push the limits of our graphic and conceptual abilities, ensuring that every project we submit represents the best version of what we can create at that moment. Competitions push us to think critically, experiment boldly, and grow as designers. The process itself and what we learn along the way often proves more valuable than the outcome.

Read full interview
Authors
Margaret Graham Brandow
Abraham Cordell Silvers
Country
United States
+72 points Buildner University Rankings
  • 8/10 Linework
  • 9/10 Quality of drawings
  • 8/10 Balance of color
  • 9/10 Layout
  • 8/10 Hierarchy
  • 8/10 Annotation
  • 9/10 Text
  • 9/10 Clarity of story
  • 8/10 Clarity of diagrams
  • 9/10 Quality of overall presentation

Honorable mentions

Show honorable mentions (6 of 6) Hide honorable mentions projects
Project name

Seasoning

We see architecture competitions as a fantastic way to step out of our comfort zones and take on unique, thought-provoking challenges. They allow us to explore different ideas, cultures, and perspectives. Most importantly, they’re a space for creative freedom and self-expression.

Read full interview
University
Warsaw University of Technology , Politechnika Warszawska
Authors
Łukasz Michał Danilczuk
Krystian Grzegorz Kubat
Ewa Helena Maniak
Zofia Zuzanna Zwijacz
Country
Poland
+72 points Buildner University Rankings
Project name

Unscripted

Competitions like this allow us to step outside the constraints of our daily client-driven work and push the boundaries of what architecture can be. They provide a space for experimentation and clarity, where we can challenge our own assumptions, test ideas, and engage in a global dialogue with peers. It’s a creative reset and an opportunity to deepen our values through design.

Read full interview
Authors
Rune Junior Rui-Xin Li
Tina Meng Ting Li
Country
Sweden
Project name

Twisted Kinderspace

We take part in competitions to tackle new challenges together and to develop fresh ideas. It’s a chance to create something that hasn’t been done before and to experiment with innovative techniques that often don’t get enough attention in our everyday professional work.

Read full interview
Authors
Alexander Mpaltatzis
Florian Hofmann
Country
Germany
Project name

Rooted Beginnings : A Flexible, Prefabricated Kindergarten for Québec’s Children

Épigraphe participates in architecture competitions to share our ideas and ambitions for the future we are working to build. They provide a creative platform that allows us to dream more freely of places that have yet to exist. Competitions allow us to challenge preconceived notions of how our built and natural environment’s function, and what they should feel and look like. They allow us to improve our methods of visual communication, creating immersive media that illustrates atmospheres and social interactions, inviting others to imagine themselves in the worlds we aspire to live in.

Read full interview
Author
Pierre-Charles Gauthier
Country
Canada
Project name

Tangram

Architecture competitions offer a chance to step away from everyday constraints and explore bold ideas. They allow us to pursue what matters to us, experiment freely, and transform casual conversations into concrete design proposals. More than a final product, they are about thinking critically, collaborating closely, and discovering a clearer design voice through the process.

Read full interview
Authors
Jihoon Kim
Yun Jeong Han
Boseul Seo
Ka Heun Hyun
Country
United States
Project name

INTERSTICES

Authors
Ege Ediger
Deniz Eskicirak
Berke Karadeni̇z
Country
Italy

Shortlisted projects

Show Shortlisted projects Hide Shortlisted projects

MODULAR KINDERSPACE

Martyna Radzikowska
Zofia Falkowska

Akademia Techniczno-Artystyczna Nauk Stosowanych w Warszawie (ATA)

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Poland

Woodland Wonders

Dominika Maria Wielgosz
Agata Jolanta Tołwińska
Agata Cecylia Przysiężniak

Wyższa Szkoła Ekologii i Zarządzania w Warszawie

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Poland

The Circle of Life

David Amir Paul Suhre
Wiktoria Nowak

Politecnico di Milano / Polytechnic University of Milan

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Italy

Brick Bond

Silvia-Elena Maxim

Faculty of Architecture and City Planning Timisoara

Romania

EPLORA

Iveth Flores Espinoza
Julia Paulina Lozano Herrera
Montserrat Alviso Lara
Sandra Lizeth Meza Cuevas

ITESM, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Mexico

Montessori Kindergarten in Wieliczka

Joanna Maria Nowak

Politechnika Krakowska im. Tadeusza Kościuszki

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Poland

"Radice" Kindergarten

Oliwia Jadwiga Musiał

POLITECHNIKA KRAKOWSKA IM.TADEUSZA KOŚCIUSZKI

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Poland

Sweet Auburn Nursery School

Ella Jean Newell
Emilio Miguel Lachica

Georgia Institute of Technology

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
United States

The Whispering Grove

Edwin Landseer Collen
Marike Naomi Louw
K Volschenk
South Africa

From Parking Lot to Kindergarten

Jaewon Kim
Mi Jang
Jaeyun Lee
Canada

Growth Point

Marina Alimpieva
Danylo Davydiuk

Akademia Techniczno-Artystyczna Nauk Stosowanych w Warszawie (ATA)

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Poland

Circle of joy

Olga Strejczek
Jakub Konrad Miśniakiewicz
Szymon Piotr Misiak
Eliza Weronika Starula

Cracow University of Technology (Politechnika Krakowska im. Tadeusza Kościuszki)

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Poland

Like a baby bird

Kim Byengsu

Kaywon University of Art & Design

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
South Korea

Aeolous School

Ka Chun Lai
Netherlands

Learning on the Line

Catherine Marielle Wilmes
United States

INTERSTICES

Ege Ediger
Deniz Eskicirak
Berke Karadeni̇z
Italy

Tangram

Jihoon Kim
Yun Jeong Han
Boseul Seo
Ka Heun Hyun
United States

Rooted Beginnings : A Flexible, Prefabricated Kindergarten for Québec’s Children

Pierre-Charles Gauthier
Canada

Nest

Kenneth Anggara
Marco Kuo
Emma Aleah Garm-Straker
United Kingdom

Empty ground

Choi Eunbi
Kim Doyun
Soyoung Yoo

Hansung University Design & Arts Institute

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
South Korea

PLAYFUL PAST

Zihe Chen
Thomas Doan
Australia

KINDERFOREST SOFIA

Vasilena Orlinova Nikolova
Bulgaria

Twisted Kinderspace

Alexander Mpaltatzis
Florian Hofmann
Germany

Hourspace

Taeyoung Eum
Jeonghwee Tae
South Korea

Tiny Arches

Jakub Waldemar Ptaszny

Silesian University of Technology - Faculty of Architecture (Wydział Architektury Politechniki Śląskiej)

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Poland

ROOTS AND RESILIENCE

Jinyu Wei
Wencan Fu

Politecnico di Milano / Polytechnic University of Milan

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Italy

kinder in the garden

Lim Huei Shyang
Malaysia

Growing Confident

Margaret Graham Brandow
Abraham Cordell Silvers

Northeastern University, USA

+72 points Buildner University Rankings!
United States

Orbit Playhouse

Fang Sun
Fenghua Lin

University of Pennsylvania

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
United States

Bloom Again

Liudmyla Motz
Ukraine

Outside-In: ecological thinking of children, climate & architecture

Longyi Zhou
Netherlands

Unscripted

Rune Junior Rui-Xin Li
Tina Meng Ting Li
Sweden

Seasoning

Łukasz Michał Danilczuk
Krystian Grzegorz Kubat
Ewa Helena Maniak
Zofia Zuzanna Zwijacz

Warsaw University of Technology , Politechnika Warszawska

+72 points Buildner University Rankings!
Poland

KINDERFLOW

Alec Charles Harrigan
John Joseph Iii Snyder
Alex Vaquero Flores
United States

Open Fields for Little Minds

Natalia hildegarda Stychno

Wroclaw University of Science and Technology (Politechnika Wrocławska)

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Poland

A Small World Within

Samruddhi Abhijit Salokhe

Academy of Architecture, Mumbai

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
India

COCCODRILLO Scuola Materna

Carlotta Annamaria Mila Dubini

Politecnico di Milano / Polytechnic University of Milan

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Italy

Leaf & Light kindergarten

Volha Maslenkova

Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University (Krakowska Akademia im. Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego)

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Poland

KINDER-BELT

Jeongwoong Park

Sejong University, 세종대학교

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
South Korea

Riverlight House

Liam Isaac Roberts
Angela Le

Toronto Metropolitan University - TMU

+22 points Buildner University Rankings!
Canada